After the top doctor at the Oregon Department of Corrections was arrested late last year for allegedly driving under the influence, officials have recently decided not to pursue charges, according to The Bend Bulletin.
A DUI conviction can cost $20,000 or more, and a judge for Deschutes County approved an order that officially dismissed the charges made against the doctor, Bend resident Christopher Peter DiGiulio. DiGiulio was initially pulled over and arrested on December 2 on suspicion of DUI.
Brian Donahue, DiGiulio’s DUI lawyer, stated that his client’s lab work showed a blood alcohol level low enough that the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office decided against pursuing charges.
“I think the DA’s office did the right thing,” Donahue said. “For Chris, this was huge … He feels vindicated. This is a reminder that not everyone is guilty just because they were they were charged with a crime,” Donahue said.
Though the charges were dropped, DiGiulio was still fined a total of $650 for refusing to take a breathalyzer test during the incident. The arrest report says that DiGiulio was pulled over while driving his white BMW near Wilson Avenue on NE Third Street in Bend. According to the report, he was pulled over because his tail light was out, but allegedly, he admitted to Deputy Aaron Myers of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to smoking marijuana earlier that day.
Clearly, this case was made much easier thanks to DiGiulio’s lawyer. It’s never a good idea to try to navigate through a case as serious as a DUI without the knowledge and experienced advice of a qualified DUI attorney, who can inform you of your criminal defense options and guide you every step of the way.
Each day, people drive drunk almost 300,000 times, but fewer than 4,000 are arrested. Obviously, getting charged with a DUI is a serious offense, and the best step you can take is to work with a DUI lawyer who can explain your criminal defense options and make the process as painless and easily navigable as possible.
